


A Whole Lotte Love

by Katzenlicht



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Cute, Developing Relationship, Embarrassment, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katzenlicht/pseuds/Katzenlicht
Summary: Akko’s been very busy lately. Of course, Lotte was very happy for her – she’d come so far since she arrived at Luna Nova, and she was finally making a lot of progress towards her dream – but Lotte couldn’t help but feel like she was growing apart from her friend.
Relationships: Atsuko "Akko" Kagari/Lotte Yanson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first published fic! Thank you very much for giving it a chance!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotte takes Sucy's advice.

“Hey, Sucy, would you like to hang out?” Lotte asked. If she couldn’t hang out with Akko today, she could always hang out with Sucy, right?

“We’re already hanging out.” Sucy responded flatly.

“Oh, heh, right…” The two roommates were situated in their usual spots inside their dorm room one Saturday morning. Lotte in the top bunk of her bunk bed re-reading one of her favorite Nightfall volumes for the millionth time, and Sucy quietly following directions from an ancient-looking book with ‘DRUIDIC POISONS’ stamped in faded gold letters on the cover.

“Why don’t you ask Akko to hang out?” Sucy asked after a moment.

“I’d like to, but she said she’d be busy today.” Lotte put a bookmark in her book and set it down. She didn’t want to spend the weekend doing nothing _again_ , but she couldn’t think of anything she would enjoy doing by herself. She resolved to visit the library and get ahead in a few of her classes, thinking to at least spend the time doing something productive. She gathered her textbooks and wand, then headed for the door. “I’m going to the library for a while. See you, Sucy.” Sucy grunted in response, and Lotte left the room.

Lotte quickly reached the library and looked around. The library was fairly empty, as it usually was on weekends, and there were only a handful of students situated at various tables around the hall. She scanned the room for a good place to sit when her eyes landed on a familiar group of students. Akko was sitting with Diana and her roommates, Hannah and Barbara, at a table stacked high with textbooks, papers, and scrolls. Her mood lifted at the sight of her friend. She went to join them at the table, but stopped herself when she saw there wouldn’t be any room for her. She clutched her books to her chest, wondering if she should even bother them. She quickly decided that she’d get another opportunity to study with them later. After all, she wasn’t even sure she would be welcome among Diana’s group. Even though Diana’s roommates had stopped teasing her when their groups became closer, they still rarely paid her mind when they were in proximity. She and Barbara recently had a lengthy conversation about Nightfall, but they hadn’t really talked since then. They hadn’t noticed her yet, so Lotte could safely retreat to a quiet corner of the library.

When lunchtime finally came around, Lotte realized she had already read and highlighted two chapters ahead for the class she was studying for. Her stomach growled, and she wondered if she should be lonely more often, as it made her quite productive. Was she really lonely? She wasn’t sure… Maybe she was just blowing this out of proportion. She began packing up her things when she looked around, realizing Akko and her group had left at some point, and the library was practically empty. She quietly sighed and headed for the lunchroom.

She arrived and quietly collected her lunch: sushi and salad with mushrooms, carrots, and Italian dressing. She went to sit down when it dawned on her that she might be able to eat with Akko today. She scanned the room hopefully for the brunette, but her heart sank when she found her at a table with no openings. She was beginning to sense a pattern here. Dejected, she found a quiet corner of the lunchroom and absentmindedly ate her lunch.

_Plonk._

Lotte jumped at the sound of Sucy setting her plate down next to her.

“Sucy?”

“Lotte.” Sucy sat down and began picking the mushrooms out of her salad and piling them in the middle of her plate. “…What?”

“Oh, well, it’s just that you never eat in the lunchroom with me. I don’t mind of course, I’m just surprised!” Lotte watched as Sucy poured something from a small phial into her salad and began stirring it.

“I wasn’t planning on it. But I saw you sitting in the corner like a lost puppy, and I figured something was up.” Sucy looked up to see Lotte staring at her with an appreciative smile. “Don’t get used to it…” Lotte giggled at her.

“So I’m guessing this is about Akko?” Sucy asked with a bored expression as she began shoving forkfuls of lettuce – now glowing green – into her mouth.

“Yeah…” Lotte responded with a sigh. “I saw her at the library, but she was busy with Diana and her group. Then I wanted to sit with her for lunch, but she’s at a full table…” Lotte trailed off as she looked over at Akko’s table, where Amanda was receiving a noogie from a rancorous Akko.

“At this point…” Sucy spoke between mouthfuls of lettuce, “you probably need to just ask her to hang out. She’s been so busy, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hasn’t realized how long it’s been since you two hung out together.”

Lotte thought for a moment. Could it be that simple, she just needs to ask her? She hadn’t really given it much thought that Akko might be so busy that she didn’t realize they had been growing apart. “That’s actually a good idea Sucy! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that… Um… Sucy?”

“Hm?”

“Your eyes are glowing green.”

“Yeah.” Sucy said with a grin, then held her plate up – which now only had the pile of mushrooms on it – and shoveled all of the mushrooms into her mouth at once.

“A-anyway, thank you for eating with me, and for the advice. See you around, Sucy!” With a wave goodbye, Lotte got up and left the cafeteria thinking about where she would like to hang out with Akko.

After going back to her dorm and thinking it over for a while, Lotte decided she would ask Akko to walk around Blytonbury with her tomorrow. They used to make the trip frequently; the two of them – and occasionally Sucy – would fly to the town on weekends and do anything from window shop to simply walking around in the park. Akko usually spent the time ranting to her about whatever she was currently fixated on, but Lotte didn’t mind. Once Akko got more and more busy, they stopped going, as the trip took up a decent amount of time and Akko had plenty of other engagements on weekends. Lotte decided it would be a much needed break for Akko and a good way for them to catch up with each other.

Lotte waited until the end of the day to ask Akko to hang out. Akko’s schedule was hectic, and she wasn’t sure she could catch her between engagements if she tried. Finally, Akko made it back to her dorm room where Lotte was waiting in her bed. The door swung open and Akko dragged herself in, huffing with exhaustion. She dropped herself on her bed and let out a long sigh of relief.

“Flight practice…” Akko huffed, “…is so… exhausting…”

“Wow, Akko, you sound really tired. Are you sure you’re not working yourself too hard? I think you could use a break.” Lotte said, peering down from her bed.

“Nah, Lotte, I’m fine… Don’t worry about me,” Akko said, sounding like she was on the verge of falling asleep right then.

“Wait, no, Akko, I really think a break would be good for you! Do you remember when we used to go to Blytonbury together on the weekends?”

Akko hummed in response.

“I think it might be fun to do that again this weekend. Do you think you’d have time tomorrow? I know you’re busy, so we can go later in the day, maybe around 5 p.m.?”

Akko thought for a moment. “Hmm, I don’t think I’m doing anything at five… Sure, we can go!” Akko said, summoning the last of her enthusiasm before promptly falling asleep with a loud snore. Lotte brimmed with excitement. She was finally going to spend some time with her friend.

“I told you, you just needed to ask.” Sucy said plainly from her bed.

“Of course! Thank you, Sucy, I owe you. Goodnight!” Lotte snuggled her pillow excitedly and drifted off to sleep.

The next day passed quickly. Akko had agreed to meet Lucy at the Ley Line terminal at 5 p.m. As usual, Akko was busy for most of the day, so Lotte spent most of her day in the library. She wanted to study, but her excitement about the coming evening prevented her from focusing. She didn’t mind, though, and the hours passed quickly. Soon enough, it was nearing 5 p.m., so she collected her broom and waited by the Ley Line terminal.

5 p.m. came, and Lotte patiently waited for Akko. Akko wasn’t known for being punctual, but Lotte didn’t mind waiting for a few minutes.

15 minutes passed, Akko still hadn’t shown up. Lotte figured she was probably held up by Diana explaining a lengthy concept and they lost track of time, or she was being scolded by Finnelan for running in the halls again.

30 minutes passed, Lotte started to worry. She couldn’t have forgotten about it, could she? Maybe she had another engagement she forgot about, and she’ll be showing up soon. They could still make it if they hurried…

2 hours passed. Akko never showed up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotte gives Akko a hug.

Lotte woke at 5 a.m. the next morning to a quiet dorm room. She could hear the muffled songs of birds through the closed window where the dim gray light of dawn slowly crept in. It was Monday; she didn’t need to be in class for another few hours, but she didn’t want to go back to sleep. She quietly peered over the edge of the bunk bed to see Akko fast asleep with a blanket strewn across her body. After deciding yesterday that Akko wasn’t going to show up, Lotte had shuffled back to her dorm room and managed to fall asleep before Akko could make it back.

Thinking about last night, Lotte wanted to cry. Why? Why did it mean so much to her that she couldn’t hang out with Akko? She felt like a needy kid. For some reason, she didn’t want to talk to Akko about last night. Surely she would sincerely apologize, and Lotte would of course forgive her – after all, she wasn’t angry with Akko or anything – but she was still afraid. She was afraid everything would go back to normal, and they would continue to not hang out. She was afraid that she wouldn’t ask Akko to hang out again, knowing she may not show up.

Lotte sighed heavily, silently creeping down from the bunk bed and starting her morning routine. She continued to avoid Akko throughout the day. During class, she sat away from her friend. She ate lunch and dinner in her dorm with Sucy. She knew avoiding her wouldn’t help anything, but the silent anxieties that tugged at her from within clouded her better judgment, and she continued running from her problems. Lotte managed to avoid Akko for the entire day, but she dreaded that she would have to return to her dorm room at some point and face Akko.

The sun shone low, illuminating the cloudless sky in a vibrant orange that faded away to dark blue. Lotte sat holding a volume of Nightfall under a lone tree on a small hill between the campus and the Ley Line terminal. The light was fading quickly, and soon there wouldn’t be enough to read by, but Lotte didn’t mind. She wasn’t focused on the book, she merely used it to occupy her mind for a while. She sat in silence, watching students busily roam the campus from afar. A cold wind brushed past, swaying the branches of the tree and causing Lotte to shiver. She thought she should really go back to her dorm – it was cold and curfew was soon – but she wasn’t ready. She didn’t talk to Akko all day, and she was sure her friend noticed. She had no idea what she’d say to her if Akko asked about it. I didn’t mean to? I’m mad at you? I really miss hanging out with you? She just needed some time to clear her mind and to approach the situation rationally. She closed her eyes and breathed a few deep, slow breaths, not noticing a certain brunette approach the tree where she sat.

“Lotte?” A quiet voice asked above her.

Lotte’s stomach dropped as she looked up to see the friend she had been avoiding all day. She quickly looked away and stammered out a reply. “H-hey, Akko…”

Akko sat beside her, Lotte still avoiding her worried gaze. “Are you… avoiding me?”

Blood rushed to Lotte’s ears as she heard the question. She knew she’d have to face Akko eventually, but now more than ever, she regretted putting herself in this situation.

“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice almost a whisper.

“Is this about yesterday? I’m sorry, Lotte, I completely forgot about my other plans, and I couldn’t-”

“No, Akko, I know you didn’t mean to, it’s alright. This isn’t about that, anyway. Well, it’s… it’s related, but…” Lotte turned to look at her friend and saw her eyes strained with guilt. The sight made her heart drop. She never wanted to make her friend feel like this. “Akko, it’s not you’re fault. I’m just being silly, and childish… It’s just that…” Lotte takes a deep, shaky breath. “You’ve been so busy lately. It feels like I never get to see you, even though we’re roommates. I guess I just miss hanging out with you. A lot. It got to the point where I was determined to spend some time hanging out with you, and when that fell through, I got really worried. I was worried that I might never get to spend time with you, and I didn’t know how to handle that, so I ended up avoiding you. It just… it felt like I… I was losing my best friend… a-and…”

“Lotte, are you crying?!”

_Oh jeez…_

Akko quickly pulled her into a tight embrace and Lotte let out an unexpected sob, burying her face in Akko's shoulder. Lotte let her tears flow as Akko gently ran her hand up and down Lotte’s back, whispering quiet comforts in her ear: ‘ _Shh, it's okay. You’re okay. Just breathe.’_ Lotte breathed deep, shaky breaths in time with Akko’s hand on her back.

Lotte couldn’t understand why she was so deeply distraught about this. Sucy almost never hangs out with her, and she considered her a close friend too. Why didn’t she get like this with Sucy? Why does it feel so different with Akko?

They stayed like this for a while. Even though Lotte felt like an awful mess, she couldn’t deny that she had been somewhat touch starved, and Akko’s gentle hand running along her spine sent sparks and soothing tingles outward throughout her entire body. Her mind was a mess of guilt, shame, and fondness for Akko. She didn’t want their embrace to end, and that made her feel even worse. After a few moments, she regained some composure. Tears still welled in her eyes, but she began to speak anyway, almost into Akko’s shoulder. “I’m being so selfish, aren’t I?”

“What? Lotte…”

“I should be happy for you. You’ve been working so hard recently, devoting so much time to studying and learning to fly. You’re already such a great witch, but you’re always working hard to get better. You’ve gotten so popular, everyone wants to spend time with you. And I am happy for you, really happy! But… here I am, crying just because you’ve been busy. I feel so selfish, like I just want your time to myself.” Lotte shrank and lowered her head. “Why would anyone want to hang out with someone like me…?”

“Oh no, Lotte, that’s not true at all!” Akko gently leaned down so that she was looking Lotte in the eyes. “You’re one of my closest friends, wanting to spend time with me doesn’t make you selfish. I’m so sorry that I made it feel like you couldn’t hang out with me. The truth is…” Akko trailed off, seemingly unsure if she wanted to admit something. “It feels so silly now, but I always wondered why _you_ would want to hang out with someone like _me_. You’re so self-assured and independent, I had no idea that you cared so much about spending time with me. Actually, sometimes I thought you’d only hang out with me so I’d stop pestering you for a while. But it makes me so happy that you want to spend time with me, Lotte, and I want to spend time with you as well. Here…” Akko grabbed both of Lotte’s hands. “I promise that I’ll make time for us to hang out as often as I can.”

Lotte’s face flushed at her friend’s heartfelt confession and promise, her heart fluttering at Akko’s determined gaze and firm hold on her hands. “A-are you sure? I really don’t want to get in the way of your studies… Won’t your friends mind that I’m taking up your time?”

“I’m absolutely sure. And of course they won’t mind, they’re your friends, too, right? Diana, Hannah, Barbara, Amanda, Jasminka, Constanze, they all like you just as much as I do, and they like hanging out with you as well! Well, maybe I like you a bit more than them, ‘cause you’re, like, my best friend, hehe. Not saying they don’t like you or anything, of course they do! I just-”

Lotte managed a quiet giggle at Akko’s rambling, and Akko’s face brightened. “The point is, I’m sure they’d love to have you around more. I know I would.”

Lotte suddenly wrapped her arms around Akko, and Akko firmly hugged her back.

“Thank you, Akko.” Lotte whispered.

* * *

_The next day…_

As soon as the girls collect their lunches, Akko took Lotte’s hand and excitedly led her the table where the their friends were eating. The table was bigger than the one they previously ate at, and there was plenty of space for Lotte to join them now. To Lotte’s surprise, even Sucy was seated at the table. Curiously, Hannah and Barbara were both sitting next to – and rather close to – Amanda. Lotte had never seen the two sit away from Diana. She shrugged it off as not knowing them very well. Akko led her to a pair of empty chairs next to Sucy. Once they arrived, everyone looked up at Lotte as she apprehensively placed her plate on the table. When they were all together before, Lotte mostly felt like she was in the background, but now she was noticing everyone looking at her, and she felt the urge to shrink away and hide. She timidly sat down and looked at her food.

“Um, hello…” She said quietly.

“Hey, Lotte!” The group said practically in unison. Everyone gave Lotte an encouraging smile.

“Welcome back, Lotte, I haven’t seen you in a while!” Hannah said bubbly.

“Yeah, Lotte, you need to catch me up on Nightfall!” Barbara said.

“S-sure, I’d love to!” Lotte responded with a polite smile and a tilt of her head.

“Hey, Lotte, you should have seen Akko yesterday. She would not shut up about you _all day_.” Amanda said with a smirk, looking directly at Akko.

“Amanda!” Akko pouted and hid her face. Lotte giggled bashfully at the thought.

Diana didn’t say anything, but Lotte caught a friendly grin towards her. Sucy grinned, but was mostly paying attention to her food. Jasminka silently handed her a cookie with a smile, which Lotte gladly accepted. The group soon fell back into their normal conversations. Lotte didn’t participate as much as the others (though more than Sucy, of course), but she had never felt more like she belonged in the group. Her head filled with warm, fuzzy thoughts. She got her friends back, and more importantly, she got Akko back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the fic up to this point! Not sure when I'll update, but I promise the romance will get more clear-cut in future chapters. Also, pay no mind to the totally inconspicuous Amanda/Hannah/Barbara >;3€


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko and Lotte go to a bookstore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit of difficulty writing this one. I didn't have much of a plan after writing the previous two chapters, but I think I have a direction I like now. Hopefully it's not too all over the place (ignore that it's longer than the previous two chapters combined). The next few chapters should be paced a bit better.  
> Changed the rating to 'Teen', mostly for the upcoming chapters.

“Wow, she really said all that? _And_ started crying on your shoulder?” Amanda asked with wide-eyed smirk.

“M-hm.” Akko answered with her head down. “I felt awful. I promised her we’d hang out more, then she hugged me. I still can’t believe it happened.”

The two students sat across from each other in Amanda’s dorm room. Jasminka was out, and Constanze was in her lab, leaving Amanda and Akko to talk in privacy – something they had been doing a lot recently.

Amanda whistled and sat back in her bed. “Damn, Akko, you might actually have a chance with her.”

Akko looked up with a blush. “N-no way! It was totally platonic! I mean, sure, I was surprised to know she cared about me that much, but…”

Amanda let out a laugh. “Come on, Akko, when was the last time I cried into your arms, begging you to hang out with me?”

Amanda suddenly got up and sat down next to Akko, then hugged Akko’s arm from the side, mockingly rubbing her face on Akko’s shoulder.

“Oh, Akko, I missed you _so much_. How I _long_ to spend every second of every day with you…”

“Amanda!” Akko playfully shoved her friend away then hid her face bright red in her hands. “I-it wasn’t like that! You weren’t there…”

Amanda raised an eyebrow. “Come on, you’re really going to tell me you didn’t sense a _hint_ of romantic tension between you two?”

“Yes! I mean, maybe? I don’t know, I wasn’t focused on that!” Akko pouted.

“Okay,” Amanda sighed and returned to her bed, “here’s what you should do. Because I _know_ you’ll refuse to just tell her how you feel…”

Akko rubbed the back of her neck and bashfully chuckled in agreement.

“...you should spend some time alone with her to find out if she might like you.”

Akko thought for a while. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t exactly a coincidence she had gotten too busy to spend time with Lotte. Her feelings for the orange-haired girl had started off platonic, of course, but over time, they started to lean more and more on the romantic side.

Akko fondly remembered the first time she realized her attraction to Lotte. She had asked Lotte to help her with summoning magic, as an exam on the subject was approaching, and Ursula was having trouble helping her with it. The two of them set up one night in their dorm room with the lights out, as Lotte had explained that darkness strengthened their connection to spirits.

“Lotte, don’t you usually summon spirits differently?” Akko asked after Lotte had demonstrated summoning a few times the way it was taught in class. “It isn’t usually so… textbook, right?”

“Well, sort of…” Lotte answered as she politely released the spirit she had summoned, “but the way I do it won’t help you with the exam.”

Akko’s eyes lit with curiosity. “Come on, Lotte, you should show me anyway! I want to see the way you do it!”

Lotte’s blush was hidden in the darkness of the room. “It’s, um, it’s a bit embarrassing, but... if you insist… I guess I can show you.”

Lotte cleared her area and stepped back, then closed her eyes and began to softly sing in a language Akko couldn’t understand. Though she was clearly embarrassed and timid only moments ago, Lotte’s voice was clear and confident, like the words resided on her tongue and were eager to once again be let out. The unfamiliar sounds flowed from her with an effortlessness English couldn’t match. Akko found the song soothing and oddly nostalgic, though she knew she had never heard it before. As Lotte sang, small glowing white wisps grew around her one-by-one. They swirled around her, joyfully dancing with the song. Akko stared at her in wonder and awe as the song faded and Lotte opened her eyes.

It was in that moment, watching the once-timid orange-haired girl giggle and greet the spirits in her native tongue like it was more natural than breathing, illuminated from all sides by a soft white glow, that Akko fell head over heels for her.

The memory always left a smile on the brunette. After that day, her affection grew day after day until Akko could no longer think about anything else when they were together. Akko knew Lotte didn’t feel the same way about her, and she was terrified of Lotte discovering Akko’s feelings. They were roommates after all, and she didn’t want Lotte to feel uncomfortable sleeping in the same room together if she didn’t reciprocate Akko’s feelings. More than that, however, she didn’t want to jeopardize the friendship that meant so much to her.

Amanda’s words about spending time alone with the girl stewed in her mind. It was a good suggestion, but she was still apprehensive. She was sure she’d go crazy spending time alone with Lotte, unable to contain her affection, while desperately searching for signs that Lotte liked her in the same way.

“Akko, you’re spacing out,” Amanda finally said, waving a hand in front of Akko’s face.

“Ah, sorry…” Akko rubbed the back of her neck with embarrassment.

Amanda smirked. “I mention spending time with Lotte once and your imagination goes wild. You really got it bad, huh?”

“Amanda!” Akko hid her face for a moment, then looked up with resolve. “Fine, I’ll do it! I wanted to make up for ghosting her a few days ago, anyway.”

“There’s the trademark Akko determination!” Amanda beamed. “Now get out, I have homework to finish.”

Akko is the one to smirk this time. “But Amanda, don’t you want to talk about Ha-”

“OUT!”

With a final giggle from Akko, Amanda shoved the brunette out of the room and slammed the door.

* * *

“Miss Kagari!” Professor Finnelan said sharply looking back from the blackboard she was drawing on.

“Wah!” Akko shot up from her impromptu nap during class. “Y-yes, Professor?”

“How many times must I remind you that sleeping in class is blatantly disrespectful?” she said with a stern look.

“Of course, I’m sorry Professor Finnelan!” Akko tried her best to look and sound awake and attentive despite the light bags under her eyes. Lotte caught her eye, a soft concern in her gaze, as Akko looked around and realized it was just the two of them along with Professor Finnelan. Akko sighed.

“Are you going to give me detention again, Professor?” Akko asked nervously as she packed up her things.

“No…” Finnelan surprised the two students. She sighed and began to erase the blackboard. “You received full marks on your last exam, Akko. Your recent hard work and dedication to my class must be leaving you quite exhausted.” She turned and gave the brunette a piercing glare. “Just make sure it does not happen again,” she said with an air of finality, then packed up her things and began to leave.

“T-thank you, Professor! I promise, I won’t doze off again!” Akko gave an exaggerated salute and flashed Lotte a smile, relieved she wouldn’t need to spend that night in detention. Lotte helped Akko pack her things and the two quickly left for the lunchroom.

“So, Lotte,” Akko spoke as they made their way to lunch, “there was actually a reason I was nervous about getting detention back there.”

“Hm? I figured it just because you hate detention. You always get so antsy because you have to sit still for so long,” Lotte giggled at the memory of Akko silently fidgeting in detention, unable to focus.

“I do hate detention! But there was another reason… I still feel really bad about missing our evening hang out on Sunday, so I wanted to make it up to you! Ursula had to cancel our tutoring session tonight for some reason – I think she mentioned something about Croix? Anyway, that means I’m free for the whole evening, and I wanted to ask if you’d like to hang out! We don’t have to go to Blytonbury if you had another place in mind. We should go wherever you’d like!”

“Aw, Akko, you don’t have to make it up to me, but of course I’d like to hang out! Hm,” Lotte pondered for a moment, “there is a new bookstore in Blytonbury that I’ve been meaning to check out. Does that sound okay? You’re not really a big reader, are you?”

“Sure, that sounds like fun!” Akko beamed with excitement. She rarely got the chance to talk to Lotte about her hobbies, and she felt like this would be the perfect opportunity for them to get closer. “And I do read, just not very often. It’s mainly because I haven’t bought anything new since I came to Luna Nova. I haven’t been back to Japan, and it’s hard to find what I read here. They’re not exactly novels…” Before Akko could explain further, they arrived at the lunchroom. The girls quickly collected their lunches (spaghetti, garlic bread, and peas) and sat down with their group at one of the large tables.

The group was arranged as usual. Hannah and Barbara were once again sitting around Amanda, chatting away about nothing in particular. Diana had a textbook open in one hand was eating a piece of garlic bread with the other. Constanze and Jasminka were staring at each other for some reason, as if having a telepathic conversation. When Akko and Lotte took their seats across from Amanda, the American looked up from her conversation and smirked.

“Hey Akko, have any nice dreams lately?” Amanda snickered at her from across the table.

“What?!” Akko exclaimed. “Was I talking in my sleep during class? C’mon, what did I say? I don’t remember what I was dreaming about!” Akko quickly looked around the table. Everyone was snickering and chuckling at Akko’s obliviousness. Lotte blushed, remembering what she heard from her friend during her short nap. She gave Akko a sorry smile, but didn’t tell her what she heard.

“Trust me, Akko, it’s probably best you don’t know,” Amanda said.

Before Akko could protest, Diana spoke in a clear tone. “Akko, you should really attempt to quell such an unhealthy habit. Have you been getting enough sleep? I apologize if our long study sessions have interfered with your sleeping habits, though they seem to have been effective at raising your exam scores.” Diana’s wore a neutral expression, there was concern in her eyes.

“I’m fine, Diana, really! I don’t think it’s the study sessions. Maybe I’ve just been having trouble sleeping? Whatever, I’m sure I’ll be better in a few days.”

“If you insist,” Diana relented, “but please, alert me if your sleep problems persist. Even if you know the material well, your exam scores will surely suffer if you’re in ill health.”

Lotte gave her friend a concerned look, hoping Akko would feel better soon. She had a feeling Akko was overworking herself, but Lotte didn’t know what she would be able to do to help.

* * *

The rest of the school day passed without incident. Though Akko still looked a bit exhausted, she acted like her usual energetic self and was able to pay attention throughout the rest of her classes. Though Lotte was excited for the coming evening, a quiet thought nagged at her, that Akko might remember another engagement and they would have to reschedule again, but Lotte had a feeling they would really get to hang out today. Sure enough, when they had finished with their final class for the day, the two girls excitedly fetched their brooms and headed for the Ley Line.

“Hey, Akko, are you sure you’re alright flying all the way to Blytonbury?” Lotte asked as they made their way to the Ley Line terminal, “You only just started learning to fly last week… You can ride with me if you need to.”

“Of course, Diana is a great tutor!” Akko beamed at her with confidence. “Amanda can be helpful as well, but… let’s just say I’m not quite proficient enough to learn much from her yet.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, but don’t be afraid to ask for help.” Lotte watched as Akko mounted her broom and cast the spell. Sure enough, Akko’s broom lit up and she was hovering on her first try. “Wow, Akko, you really have gotten better!”

“See, Lotte! I got this!” Akko said smugly as she put her hands on her hips, exaggerating for effect. She seemingly exaggerated this motion too much, however, and accidentally leaned to the right, coinciding with a strong gust of wind behind her. She suddenly lost her balance and began falling towards Lotte.

“Akko!” Lotte shouted, closed her eyes, and held her arms up to catch her, but she wasn’t prepared for the full weight of Akko falling on her. She lost her footing and the pair tumbled to the ground.

Lotte found herself staring into a pair of crimson irises. Her friend’s wide eyes were so close to her own that she could see even their finest details. She noted the way they faded from a vivid crimson at the perimeter to a deep maroon around the pupils. She had never examined them with such intimate closeness before. Only then did she realize how much she admired them. They were, in short, beautiful.

Lotte tried to adjust her glasses – currently sitting uncomfortably on the space between her eyes – but her arms were firmly pressed to the ground on either side of her, gripped at her forearms by soft hands. She blinked, and her heart began to race as her mind pieced together her current situation. She had tried to catch Akko before she fell, and now Akko was on top of her, straddling her at the waist.

A small feeling she could never quite catch emerged whenever she was close to Akko that tended to disrupt her focus and throw her off-kilter. But now – losing herself in the details of Akko’s eyes, her rapid breaths mixing with the brunette’s, her ear tickled by the band of hair that fell from Akko’s forehead – the feeling grew and swirled within her with newfound clarity. It fluttered in her stomach, danced with her heart, stopped her breath, and buzzed in her mind. She couldn’t name it. She couldn’t think.

“AH!” Akko squeaked. She jumped and stumbled backwards, then fell flat on her butt. “Ow…”

_WHAT WAS THAT?!_

Akko’s mind ran in circles, trying to piece together what just happened. _Pinning your friend to the ground is_ _**not** _ _platonic_ , Akko thought, cursing herself for her carelessness. What was Lotte going to think? Even though she didn’t exactly react immediately either, there’s no way she’d just brush that off, right?

Lotte laid still for a moment, the ghost of Akko’s warmth fading with the newly discovered feeling within her. She sat up slowly and her face turned bright red, her mind stewing in the intense emotions of what she just experienced.

The two of them quickly looked around to see if anyone had witnessed what just happened. When they found nobody was around, they averted their gaze from each other, trying not to address what just transpired between them. Lotte’s mind brimmed with questions about what she just experienced. Why had neither of them reacted? Why was she so content to get lost in Akko’s deep, red eyes?

Akko scanned the other girl’s face carefully, but was unable to parse her reaction. She was supposed to be determining if Lotte felt romantically about her, but she thought she could easily just be explaining the interaction away as an accident, and their lack of initial reaction as simple shock. _Why is this so hard?_

“I’m fine!” Akko shouted and quickly stood up. “I’m sorry for falling on you, Lotte! I don’t know what… It was an accident!”

Lotte giggled, looking quizzaciously at her. “Of course, why would you do that on purpose?”

“Eh heh- Anyway…” Akko stuttered. _Of course it was an accident, dummy!_ “That was just a fluke, I don’t usually fall off my broom like that. Well, I do, kinda– whatever! I’ll be more careful on the way – I’ll totally be fine, I promise!”

Lotte thought about insisting she fly Akko there. She imagined the two of them sharing a broom for the whole ride, Akko’s arms wrapped around her waist, her breath down her neck, the brunette’s body pressed tightly against her back… Lotte quickly shook her head, clearing her mind of… whatever that was.

Akko had a similar thought. She would surely faint if she had to ride the all the way to Blytonbury and back with her arms wrapped around the smaller girl.

“No, it’s alright Akko, it wasn’t your fault, there was a gust of wind.” Lotte gave her friend an encouraging smile as Akko helped her up. “I probably would have fallen off, too.”

The two mounted their brooms and took off – without incident this time. Lotte carefully watched Akko from behind as they made their way through the Ley Line, making sure she always had control of her broom. Once they left the Ley Line and turned towards Blytonbury, she relaxed somewhat, assured that Akko would be fine all the way to their destination.

The ride was mostly pleasant for the both of them. It was somewhat cold and windy, but their company distracted each other from the discomfort. They made small talk for the first time in what felt like forever; Akko talked about various embarrassing moments from her first few flight practices – which Lotte giggled at endlessly – and Lotte talked for a while about drama in the Nightfall fandom.

* * *

Eventually, the girls arrived in Blytonbury and touched down before the new bookstore.

“Wow, Lotte! This place is huge!” Akko stood gasping at the sight.

The entrance was grand: a arched wall of glass plastered with endless posters, displays, and book covers. In the middle was large sign depicting several black cats wearing witch hats crawling all around a bookcase, with the words ‘The Curious Cat’ spelled out across the covers of the books, and the words ‘LITERATURE EMPORIUM’ printed below.

“I didn’t know it would be so… grand. I was imagining it to be a small, quiet bookstore,” Lotte said, admiring the sight. She looked up and down the various posters in the entrance, recognizing a few fantasy novels among them.

“Let’s go! I want to explore it all!” Akko took Lotte’s hand energetically and led her towards the door.

The two entered the building and slowed as they took in the atmosphere of the room around them. Despite the grand entrance outside, the ceiling was quite low – the building being comprised of multiple levels – giving the room an air of coziness. Adding to this were the tightly packed bookcases: row after row, they reached the ceiling and stretched out before them until a small open seating area filled with tables, desks, and lounge chairs. Each bookcase had a sign sticking out into the center isle, explaining its contents. The carpet below them was a patterned and emerald green, the bookcases and furniture wooden and brown, which gave the place an earthy, comfortable aesthetic. Past the small seating area, a large staircase led up to the next level. The place almost empty, with only the occasional patron walking between bookcases or seated at a table reading.

The two deposited their brooms in a barrel near the entrance (which had become increasingly common in cities around Luna Nova since Akko restored magic to the world) and Akko led Lotte deeper into the room with quiet excitement.

“There are so many books,” Akko whispered, “where should we even start?”

“Hm,” Lotte hummed and looked around, “well, this looks like the fiction and fantasy floor. I can show you where some of my favorites would be.”

Lotte took Akko down one of the long bookcases. The two perused for a while, Lotte occasionally showing Akko a book and explaining what she liked about it. They kept mental notes about what they might want to buy, but wanted to explore the rest of the store before deciding on anything.

Akko occasionally snuck a glance at Lotte. She rarely got a chance to see her friend like this: completely lost in the world of books and fantasy. Though she still couldn’t divine how the other girl felt about her, she was glad she finally worked up the courage to hang out with her again – even if she desperately wanted to hold her hand, and read to her, and…

“So Akko,” Lotte whispered, “do you think this place might have the books you like to read?”

Akko shook the affectionate thoughts from her head. “Hm, maybe. We should go look!” Akko quickly walked towards the center isle before her head could fill with thoughts about Lotte again.

They left the bookcase and headed towards the back of the room where the staircase was. As they went, Lotte noticed there were small reading nooks scattered occasionally on the left and right walls.

They climbed the staircase and found themselves in a similar room as below. This floor wasn’t quite as cozy and packed as the bottom floor, with more empty space between the sections. It looked as if it was divided into quadrants, and each corner housed a different subject. One corner closest to them had a sign of a cauldron that read ‘MAGIC’.

“This looks like the research and education floor,” Lotte noted quietly. “I’ve never seen a bookstore with a section on magic before.”

As curious as they were about the magic section, they were here to get away from school, and it wasn’t what they were looking for. The staircase to the next floor was on the other side of the room near the glass entrance.

The final floor starkly contrasted the previous two. It was full of colorful displays and posters, and the bookcases were only shoulder-height. Lotte spotted a section on music and records and another section dedicated to video games.

“There it is!” Akko took Lotte’s hand and led her to a section near the back. They stopped before a sign that read ‘MANGA’. _Of course Akko would read_ _manga_ , Lotte thought. Though she hadn’t read any herself, she knew about manga, and wondered why she never thought about Akko reading it.

“Have you ever read manga, Lotte?” Akko quietly asked as she led her into the section and scanned various shelves.

“No, but I’ve heard of a few. Someone from my middle school liked to read Naruto.”

It was Lotte’s turn to admire her friend. She watched as Akko perused and giggled at various books Lotte didn’t recognize. She wondered how she had never seen this side of Akko before, and if it would be alright to see what books she already had in her collection.

Akko giggled and handed Lotte a small book.

“I think you’d like something like this!” Akko smiled at her as Lotte examined the cover. She wondered why the book was bound on the right instead of the left. The cover depicted a wolf howling at a red crescent moon bisected by a red scythe.

Akko picked up two volumes from a series she didn’t recognize. They looked around for a place to read, but there didn’t seem to be any seating on this floor. Lotte suggested they use one of the small reading nooks she saw on the bottom floor, and the two made their way back down.

They found a small nook with two comfortable looking chairs positioned around a lamp, and they settled in to read. Lotte opened the small book Akko picked out to the front page, but it was quickly yanked out of her hands.

“Wait!” Akko whispered, “I forgot to explain how to read manga to you! You were about to read the last page!”

Their chairs were a bit too far apart for Akko to lean over and explain. Something about Lotte’s curious, bespectacled eyes spurred confidence within the brunette. After quickly looking around, Akko got up and sat next to Lotte on her chair.

The chairs were fairly large, but there was only barely enough room for them to sit side-by-side, their sides squished against each other. Lotte hid a blush, surprised at the sudden contact. She hurriedly assured herself this was a normal thing for friends to do. Akko began to explain that manga panels read right to left, top to bottom, and the pages are arranged from right to left. The feeling from before crept back into Lotte as her heart began to race. The smell of Akko’s shampoo filled her lungs, and she had to fight to keep her attention on Akko’s instructions.

After guiding Lotte through the first few pages of her manga, Akko got up to return to her chair. Lotte failed to hide her look of disappointment at Akko leaving. Suddenly Akko smirked, sat right back down beside her and began to read her book in silence. Lotte blushed furiously and buried her face in the book, trying desperately not to focus on the girl beside her.

Eventually, she was able tear her mind away from Akko to delve into the book into her hands. Reading manga was a lot different than what she was used to, the illustrations painting more vivid scenes in her mind than a novel could, and communicating more visually to make up for the lack of text space in the pages. It was easy to read, and she found herself getting drawn into the action and world, turning pages with bated breath, eager to read what happens next.

Eventually, the girls decided to head back before it got too late. However, as they walked down a bookcase isle towards the entrance, Akko suddenly stopped and grabbed Lotte’s arm. Lotte turned to face her with a puzzled expression.

“Um, Lotte?” Akko began quietly, trying not to disturb the peaceful aura of the bookstore.

Lotte gulped, staring deep into Akko’s crimson eyes. For some reason, she felt the urge to tuck Akko’s long band of hair behind her ear.

“What did I say in class today, when I was asleep?”

The question caught Lotte by surprise and her cheeks flushed pink. She didn’t think Akko would care so much about what she had said earlier, let alone remember it.

“W-well, it wasn’t anything serious! It’s just you… um… you kinda said that… I was cute?”

Lotte gauged her friend’s reaction, sure that she would suddenly remember and assure her that it was just a weird dream Lotte happened to be in. She was surprised, then, to see Akko blush as hard as her.

 _Oh my god…_ Akko fought the urge to run away and hide, never to face Lotte again. She really says stuff like that in her sleep? What if she said something else while sleeping in their dorm room? How was she going to prevent herself from saying something weird if she didn’t even remember the dream?

“It-it’s okay, though!” Lotte quickly assured her, “it was just a weird dream, right? You can’t really control what you dream about.”

“Heh, yea, of course…!” Akko said, nervously rubbing the back of her neck. “Sorry about that Lotte, that must’ve been _really_ embarrassing.”

Lotte shook her head. “Well, it was a little, but everyone mostly found it funny.” Lotte smiled and tilted her head. “I think I even saw Finnelan fighting a grin before she quieted the class down.”

After Lotte assured her it was nothing to worry about, the two of them quietly paid for their books, collected their brooms, and started for the Glastonbury Tor.

“So,” Akko began as the flew, “how are you liking the manga I picked out for you?”

“It’s good!” Lotte replied with a smile “You know my tastes well. I’m not used to reading manga, but it’s easy to enjoy.”

Akko smiled proudly at her. “Let me know if you want any more recommendations! I have a few series in you can try if you’d like.”

Lotte’s heart fluttered. She was glad to be able to share and participate in something Akko enjoyed.

When the two got back to their dorm, Akko pulled a large flat box out from under her bed. As she opened the lid, Lotte realized it was Akko’s manga collection. Lotte peered at it curiously. Most of them were placed with the binding up, so she couldn’t see what the covers looked like, but one had fallen over with the cover face-up. It depicted two girls in what Lotte assumed were a Japanese high-school uniforms. She peered closer, and saw the two girls were engrossed in a deep kiss, while one unbuttoned the other’s shirt.

Lotte’s head became a tomato. She busied herself with putting her own book away, trying to look like she hadn’t seen it.

After finding a place for her newly purchased volumes, Akko sat back and looked at the box. Her eyes landed on the book that had fallen over, and she suddenly remembered what was in the box she had open. Akko let out a squeak, closed the lid hard and shoved it under her bed. She looked up at Lotte, who had her back turned away and was busy finding a place for her books. Convinced Lotte hadn’t seen anything, she flopped on her bed with a long sigh.

Though she wasn’t any closer to figuring out Lotte’s feelings, Akko was very glad she decided to hang out with Lotte today. Even if it resulted in a rather… _strange_ experience. _Oh god…_ Akko buried her face in her pillow at the memory of landing on top of Lotte. _I can’t believe_ _that happened…_

* * *

“Hey, Akko?” Lotte said quietly from her bed after she and her two roommates had settled into bed.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for today. I had a lot of fun.”

“You’re welcome, Lotte. I’m sorry it’s been so long since we’ve hung out. We’ll hang out again soon, I promise.”

“Goodnight, Akko.”

“Goodnight, Lotte.”

Sucy groaned and buried her face in her pillow in annoyance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotte comes to Akko's broom practice.

“Hey, Sucy, do you want to give me a hug?” Lotte asked, staring at the ceiling from her bed.

“No,” Sucy responded, not bothering to look up from the large phial she was currently pouring different mixtures into.

Lotte grumbled. She already knew the answer, but it didn’t hurt to ask. Ever since she broke down in front of Akko, she couldn’t get their hug out of her mind. It wasn’t the first time she had hugged someone before, of course, but she had never felt that way during a hug before. The way Akko’s hand numbed her mind as it traveled up and down her back, the way she was held her firmly in Akko’s arms, the feeling of her own arms around Akko’s slender waist…

“Why don’t you ask Akko for a hug?”

The two roommates had had a similar exchange before, but for some reason Lotte didn’t expect that response.

“W-what?! I can’t do that! What if she thinks I’m weird, or being clingy?” Lotte scrunched her face and hugged her pillow tight.

Sucy looked blankly at the wall in front of her for a moment, said “no comment,” then returned to her work.

The door suddenly swung open and Akko stepped into the dorm room and silently plopped down onto her bed. An evil grin stretched across Sucy’s face as she began to speak.

“Hey, Akko, Lotte said she…”

“Sucy!!!” Lotte yelled as she shot up from her bed, face flushed with embarrassment.

Akko uttered a confused hum at the sudden shout.

“… and I…” Lotte added, “were thinking about… going to the library! To study! There’s an exam coming up after all. You should join us, Akko!” Lotte awkwardly feigned a laugh.

“We were n-”

“Sure!” Akko cut Sucy off before she could deny Lotte’s claim. “Diana’s been too busy to tutor me much recently, so I could use some study time. Let’s go!”

As the three entered the library, they saw that it was packed to the brim. Groups of students poured over textbooks and assignments, many studying for the same exam they were. The three scanned for an open table big enough for three, but failed to spot one.

Sucy suddenly sat down at a table with two chairs. “It’s the only table open.”

Akko and Lotte looked at each other as Sucy smirked at them.

“Just share the other chair.”

“Sucy!” Lotte’s eyes widened. “A-Akko surely wouldn’t…”

Lotte trailed off as she watched Akko sit on the open chair and open her arms.

“Akko, are you serious?!”

Akko smiled. “Well… we do need to study, right?”

Sucy snorted at her.

“Uh, um…” Lotte timidly looked around. Nobody seemed to be paying them any mind, as they were all too busy studying and looking for books among the shelves. She awkwardly approached the chair and lowered herself onto Akko’s lap, then placed their books on the table.

“Akko, are you sure this is okay? Won’t it be hard for you to read?”

“Nope, I can read from here! You might need to turn the pages for me though.”

Slowly, and very awkwardly, they found a rhythm and began to study. Lotte was terribly distracted by the girl she was currently sitting on, but Akko was surprisingly focused.

A sudden hand slapping down on the table startled the three witches.

“Akko, Lotte!”

They looked up to see Amanda staring down at them with a serious expression. Lotte sat up and her face went white, mortified both by Amanda seeing her like this and at why she was being so serious.

“H-h-hi Amanda!” Lotte said squeaked.

Amanda looked sternly at them for a moment before her expression broke into a wide smirk. “You guys are adorable.” Her comment earned a snort from Sucy.

“Amanda!” Akko scowled at her friend playfully. Lotte blushed and hid her head in her hands.

“I-it’s not what you think! There were just no chairs, and…”

“Relax, Lotte.” Amanda chuckled at the display. “Anyway, Akko, don’t forget we’ve got flight practice in 10 minutes.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot! Thanks, Amanda, Diana would have killed me if I showed up late again.”

“Please,” Amanda said as she rolled her eyes, “she’d find a way to blame it on me for sure. She couldn’t be mad at her dear friend Akko if she tried.”

Lotte was a bit confused by the comment, but she somewhat agreed. Diana had little patience when it came to most people, but she was rather forgiving when it came to Akko. She hadn’t heard her refer to Akko as a ‘dear friend’ before, but then again, she rarely talked to the blonde witch.

Akko leaned to the side to look at Lotte. Her eyes flashed with a silent question. Lotte thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Can Lotte come, too?” Akko asked, turning back to Amanda.

“I could use the practice,” Lotte explained, “I’ve been feeling a bit rusty lately.”

“Sure,” Amanda smiled, “The more the merrier.”

* * *

It was a cool, slightly breezy afternoon. Puffy clouds dotted the otherwise clear blue sky. Occasionally, a light gust of wind shuddered the trees beyond Luna Nova’s walls. Not the ideal conditions for broom riding, but it should give Akko an adequate challenge for today.

Diana’s hair blew softly in the wind. Her eyes scanned the courtyard past Luna Nova’s primary entrance. Students busied themselves within the halls, but there was no traffic in or out of the school.

She closed her eyes and focused on the sound of wind through the trees. She rather enjoyed these small moments of peace in her otherwise busy life. She did not mind being relied upon by so many people, but it meant she rarely got a moment to herself. With broom in hand, she patiently awaited Akko and her ever-irritating friend O’Neill to join her for today’s flight practice. She almost wished they’d be late today. Almost.

She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of approaching students. She looked upon the familiar sight of Akko and O’Neill chatting away and joking with each other as they walked, but then spotted a third following closely behind them.

She couldn’t say she was surprised to see Lotte Jansson trailing behind the two. Akko had told her what happened between them, so Diana figured she would start to see the timid Finnish witch around more often. She didn’t mind Lotte – in fact, Diana had always silently admired her studiousness and proficiency with spirits from afar – but she wasn’t thrilled to be spending time with Lotte and Akko together.

“Hey, Diana!” Akko greeted her as they arrived.

Diana straightened herself out as the trio arrived. “Good afternoon, Akko.”

“’Sup, _Miss Cavendish_ ,” Amanda said, mockingly bowing to her. Akko chuckled and slapped her arm.

“O’Neill,” Diana said with a glare.

“Um, hello Diana,” Lotte said, looking at her feet. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you for flight practice?”

“Of course not, Ms. Jansson,” Diana said politely, “you are more than welcome to join us.” Lotte looked at her with a shy grin.

Akko led them through their regular warm-up stretches before making their way to the field where they practiced.

“So Akko,” Amanda began as they walked, “since Lotte’s here, we should start off with something a bit different.”

Akko and Lotte looked at her quizzically.

“You should have a race!” Amanda said with a grin.

Akko’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. She grabbed Lotte’s arm and beamed at her with excitement, anticipating her response.

“A-a race?” Lotte hesitantly scratched her head. “I don’t know, I’m not very competitive…”

“Come on, Lotte! It’ll be fun!” Akko pleaded.

“Amanda, I hardly think that’s a good idea,” Diana said with her arms crossed, “it’s only been just over a week since Akko started learning.”

“But Diana, I’ve gotten so much better! I flew all the way to Blytonbury no problem, right Lotte?”

Lotte’s heart skipped at the memory of Akko falling on top of her. She tried her best not to blush, but Akko currently clinging to her arm didn’t help.

“Uh, y-yeah.”

Diana eyes widened a bit in surprise. “Hm, perhaps I’ve been underestimating you, Akko. In that case, I believe a race may be beneficial to your motivation.”

“Yea,” Amanda smirked, “when Akko loses, she’ll work twice as hard until she can finally beat Lotte.”

“That is _not_ what I meant.” Diana fumed.

“Hmpf!” Akko furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “I’ll show you, I can totally win!” With that, Akko raced off towards the field, grumbling to herself. Lotte chuckled and smiled to herself.

“Hey Lotte?” Amanda asked, turning to her. “Try not to lose, alright?”

Lotte nodded her head, knowing what Amanda meant. As much as she wanted to make her friend happy, she was afraid that if Akko won, she would get a bit too confident in her flying abilities and do something dangerous. She couldn’t stand the thought of Akko getting hurt because of her. But now, there was real pressure for Lotte to win, and if she was honest, she wasn’t very confident in her flying abilities at all.

  
  


The two racers lined up in the middle of the field with their brooms ready to fly. Akko stuck her tongue out at Lotte, who giggled back at her.

“Alright,” Amanda began, stepping in front of them, “first one to circle around the observatory and make it back wins the race. There aren’t really any rules, just try not to knock each other off. I don’t feel like dragging anyone to the infirmary today.” She smirked when Diana gave her a glare.

Amanda stepped to the side, and the two racers cast the spell and began to hover.

“Ready?” Amanda raised her arm, and the two racers crouched low on their brooms.

“Go!”

The witches shot off in the direction of the observatory, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. They kept pace with each other for a few moments as they increased altitude.

Wind whipped around Lotte, the colder air at their altitude stung her ears slightly. She looked over to her friend, who was surprisingly beginning to lead. She watched Akko skillfully dodge a few birds with complete control of her broom. _When did she get so good?!_

They reached the observatory and leaned into the high-speed turn. Lotte was sure she would have the upper hand here, but Akko made the turn with ease, almost drifting around the tower. When they straightened out towards the field again, Akko still maintained her lead.

  
  


The two spectators watched the pair race around the bend and slowly approach from afar. Amanda looked over to see Diana watching with an intensely neutral expression, as if trying to mask what she was feeling. Amanda let out a sigh and crossed her arms.

"They're head over heels for each other, you know."

Amanda watched as Diana's face softened into a somber longing, unable to maintain her neutral façade.

"I know."

  
  


Akko briefly turned back to Lotte and playfully teased her, mockingly sticking her tongue out and pulling one eyelid down with her finger. Lotte gave her a confident smirk in return, she still had one trick up her sleeve.

She pulled out her want and shouted an incantation. Her wand glowed with green energy for a moment, then three small wisps appeared around her. They swirled around the end of her broom, then disappeared in a flash of light. Suddenly, Lotte shot forward, green smoke trailing from her broom. She soon sailed past Akko, who’s mouth hung open as she passed.

“Hey, no fair!” Akko shouted.

It was Lotte’s turn to gloat. She turned and gave Akko an uncharacteristically mischievous smile.

As Lotte’s back was turned, her broom gave a sudden jolt and sputtered. Lotte lurched back and failed to maintain her balance.

“Lotte!”

The witch sailed headfirst towards the ground after falling from her broom. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to react or pull her arms up to slow her descent.

Time slowed to a crawl as Akko watched her best friend tumble towards the forest below. Her heart stopped and her mind cleared. She had to save Lotte. Right now.

Akko shoved the tip of her broom down perpendicular to the ground and shot towards Lotte. She hugged her broom as tight at she could, trying to be as aerodynamic as possible. As she caught up, she jutted her hand towards her friend.

“Grab my hand!” she shouted as loud as she could. Lotte didn’t react, seemingly still dazed and in shock. “Lotte, _please!_ ” Akko screamed, but received no response.

An idea forced it’s way into her mind. It was reckless and very dangerous, but Akko had no time for deliberation. She pulled away and sailed past Lotte towards the ground. After a moment, she abruptly pulled her broom up as hard as she could, flipping it and herself upside-down. The broom seemed to hover in midair at the sudden shift in momentum. When she was parallel with the ground, she flung herself up and landed with both feet on the broom. The broom shot off, aiming to intersect Lotte’s trajectory with the ground. Akko’s eyes were trained on the falling witch. She held her arms up and leaned forward to brace for the coming impact, pleading for this to work. They were so close, she was almost there…!

Lotte was forced out of her daze and found herself squeezed in a tight embrace in Akko’s arms, watching the trees fly past. She had been falling, but Akko saved her.

“Akko…”

She heard her friend suck in through her teeth curse in Japanese. “Lotte, hold on…!”

Lotte was sudden spun around and enveloped in a bear hug. Akko gripped her tight as the pair collided with a tree.

* * *

Lotte couldn’t take her eyes off the unconscious brunette lying on the hospital bed beside her own. Akko was laid flat on her bed and a thin white blanket was pulled up to her chest. The only movement from her were slow breaths that gently pushed the blanket up and down. Lotte laid with her back propped up against the headboard; her right arm was bandaged and suspended at her side – still held in place by the splint Diana gave her in the forest.

The room was empty empty besides the two girls. Lotte laid quietly for what seemed like an uncomfortably long time. Her eyes were already red and puffy, and she could feel the tears coming again as she helplessly watched her friend, the memories of the last few hours looping in her mind.

“Not to worry, Ms. Jansson,” the nurse said as she finally appeared in the doorway, looking down at a clipboard. Lotte looked up at her hopefully as she entered. “Ms. Kagari will be just fine. She sustained only minor scrapes and bruises, mostly where her back made contact with the tree.”

Lotte winced at the memory, turning back to her friend.

“Diana has already treated her with magic, and she will surely wake within a few hours. I could wake her now, but it would accelerate the healing process to let her rest.”

Lotte closed her eyes and sighed deeply in relief.

“Unfortunately,” the nurse began, eyeing Lotte’s suspended arm, “you weren’t quite so lucky. Your arm is broken.”

The girl nodded slowly. She suspected as much after the initial pain had nearly paralyzed her temporarily, but hearing it confirmed somehow made it scarier.

“I’m going to heal it the best I can, but bones aren’t an easy thing to fix. You’re still going to need a cast for about a week.”

Lotte nodded and examined her arm. It still shot pain through her body every now and again – and was generally uncomfortable – but the pain was leagues better than before Diana had used some painkilling magic. She wasn’t looking forward to not being able to use her right hand for a week, but was relieved that it didn’t turn out worse.

“That doesn’t seem so bad.” Lotte said with as much cheer as she could muster. The nurse retrieved her wand and rolled her sleeves up with a grim expression.

“Let’s see how you feel after this spell,” the nurse said, standing over the witch. “Trust me, this won’t be pleasant.”

  
  


One excruciating spell later, Lotte’s arm was treated and now encased in a cast, sitting comfortably by her side.

“You’ll need to stay overnight for the cast to set.” The nurse busied herself with cleaning the room as she readied to leave. “Once you and Ms. Kagari are examined again in the morning, you will be free to go.”

Lotte nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble,” Lotte said softly.

“Oh, don’t you worry Ms. Jansson,” the nurse replied as she headed for the door. “You aren’t quite the regular like your friend there. Take care.”

As the nurse left the room, two students burst through the door and stopped at the foot of Lotte’s bed.

“Amanda, Diana!” Lotte sat up to greet them.

“Found your broom.” Amanda said plainly. “I gave it to Sucy.”

Lotte nodded. “Thanks, Amanda.” She looked over to Diana and asked “How’s Akko’s broom?”

Diana frowned. “It was broken in half. I sent it to the Magic Item Cafe to be repaired.” Lotte nodded.

“So how you feelin’, speed racer?” Amanda said with a grin. Diana scowled at her. “Right, sorry.” Amanda scratched the back of her head.

“No, it’s alright,” Lotte assured her. “I’m feeling okay, the nurse just finished my cast.” She held her right arm up to display it.

“So it’s really broken, huh? How long you need to wear it?” Amanda asked.

“Just a week.”

“A week?” Diana repeated with concern. “Will that not impact your studies?”

“Well, maybe, but I’m sure I can manage.” She flashed an unconvincing smile.

Diana nodded, then looked over to Akko.

“The nurse said she’d wake up within the next few hours.” Lotte tried to assured the blonde. After finding the two in the forest after the crash (and treating Lotte, of course,) Diana had hardly taken her eyes off of the unconscious brunette. She only went to find her broom after being assured she was in stable condition by the nurse.

Diana silently made her way to Akko and sat on the edge of her bed. She couldn’t divine Diana’s emotions. She was concerned for sure – and perhaps a little relieved – but beyond that, Lotte didn’t know. Diana was a bit too good at concealing her thoughts.

Amanda looked awkwardly between the three other girls. “Well, if you and Akko are both alright, I’m heading back to my dorm.”

“Mm,” Lotte replied. “Thank you again, Amanda. And…”

“It’s cool, Lotte,” Amanda cut her off and headed for the door. “See you tomorrow.” With a wave, she left the room.

  
  


The two sat in silence for a while. Lotte looked between Akko and Diana a few times. The blonde seemed deep in thought, but her face betrayed no emotions.

“Diana…” Lotte finally spoke, snapping Diana back to reality. “I just, um, wanted to thank you again, for helping me and Akko. We would have been a lot worse off without your healing magic.”

“Akko deserves your thanks more than I.” She looked down at Akko’s sleeping face once more. “I’ve never seen her fly like that, when she saved you. She did so without a second of hesitation, and flawlessly pulled off one of the riskiest maneuvers I have ever seen, rivaling one of O’Neill’s stunts.”

Lotte couldn’t remember much from the terrifying ordeal. She remembered Akko catching her, standing on her broom, and wondered how Akko had managed it.

The blonde suddenly stood up and made her way to the door, then stopped for a moment.

“She’s very fond of you.”

Without looking back, she quietly left the room, leaving an utterly confused Lotte alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Lotte was pulled from an unpleasant dream by a soft warmth around her left hand. Her eyes fluttered open to see Akko illuminated by moonlight, sitting beside her bed and softly gripping Lotte’s hand with her own. She blushed as Diana’s words flashed in her mind. _She’s very fond of you._

Akko quickly looked up and let go of her hand as Lotte stirred. Lotte put her glasses on, and noticed streaks of tears glittered down from Akko’s eyes. She sat up in alarm at the realization.

“Akko?!”

Akko hurriedly looked away. “Lotte…” Her voice was hoarse and strained. “I… your arm… I’m so sorry, I…”

“No, I’m okay!” Lotte sat up on her knees to face her.

“But it’s my fault!” Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. “I pressured you into the race, you didn’t want to be competitive at all! I’m so stupid, I should have listened, and…”

Lotte suddenly silenced the brunette by pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Akko, you saved me.”

Akko’s breath hitched, then she began to sob openly into Lotte’s chest. Remembering when Akko had comforted her, Lotte began to run her hand down Akko’s back.

“I was so scared…” Akko gripped Lotte tightly.

“I’m okay,” Lotte whispered, repeating it a few times for reassurance.

Akko began to calm down. Lotte absentmindedly ran her fingers through her brown hair.

“Akko, it’s not your fault.” Lotte pulled away to look into Akko’s eyes. Akko slowly nodded, then looked down at Lotte’s cast.

Lotte sat back and examined it. “It’s only for a week. It’s really not so bad.” Akko’s eyes widened.

“But it’s your right arm, you won’t be able to write!”

“I know, but I’m sure I’ll manage. It’s not a big deal…”

Akko shook her head and looked at her with determination. “I’ll help you. The whole week, anything you need!”

Lotte’s eyes widened. “Akko, I- I can’t ask you to…”

“Nope,” Akko cut her off. “You can’t change my mind.” She smiled with determination at the orange haired girl in front of her.

“Akko, I…” Lotte smiled, embarrassed, and looked down. “Thank you…”

Silence claimed the room once more. The two witches peacefully watched the silently swaying forest beyond the window. A bright full moon lit the trees from behind, creating a sea of silver silhouettes that stretched towards the starry sky. Akko’s chair sat before the window, causing her to glow in the dim gray light. Lotte found herself admiring the brunette witch beside her. Even with her ruffled, bedhead hair, she was really pretty. It wasn’t exactly the first time Lotte was awestruck by her friend in this way, but now – Akko being the brightest thing in the room – it was hard for her to think about anything else. She didn’t want this peaceful moment alone with Akko to end.

After a few moments, Akko slowly stood up. Lotte quickly tried to hide that she was staring.

“We should probably get some sleep…” Akko said begrudgingly.

As Akko began towards her bed, she felt her hand pulled back. She turned around, eyes wide with surprise. Lotte looked up at her, holding Akko’s hand with her left, seemingly as surprised as she was. Lotte’s grip tightened as she frantically looked away.

“I, um…! I was having a bad dream before… I thought, maybe… if you wanted to, of course! We c-could… um, sleep… in my bed…?” Lotte grew more and more embarrassed with each word. She had no idea what compelled her to ask, but maybe waking up with her hand in Akko’s had something to do with it.

Akko audibly gasped at the proposition. The darkness hid the deep red that rushed to her face. Was Lotte really… asking her to sleep in the same bed? Like, for real?

Lotte let go of her hand after seeing Akko’s reaction. “Ah! That was really stupid of me… I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, no, it’s okay!” Akko quickly reassured her. “I-I just didn’t expect that. If you think it would help, then…” Akko timidly approached the bed.

Lotte’s eyes went wide. She awkwardly shifted to make room, and opened the blanket for Akko. The brunette quickly laid down, and Lotte rolled over to face away from her.

“Um… Lotte? Won’t it hurt your arm to lay like that?” Akko asked in a whisper.

“O-oh, you’re right…” In the heat of the moment, she completely forgot about the cast. She rolled over and found herself face-to-face with Akko.

The two couldn’t help but stare into each other’s eyes. A familiar feeling stirred within Lotte. Her heart began to pound as she resisted the urge to tuck Akko’s hair behind her ear, hold Akko’s hand, burrow into Akko’s shoulder, hug Akko tight…

There was no way she was falling asleep like this.

“U-um, Akko… could you…”

“Oh! Right, sorry!” The brunette was snapped out of a daze and quickly rolled over to face away from Lotte. “G-good night!”

Her heart slowly calmed, and Akko’s pleasant warmth soothed her until she peacefully dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stuff with Diana probably won't be resolved in this fic. I want to keep this fic mostly focused on Akko and Lotte, so I'm thinking about making a sequel fic that focuses on Diana.


End file.
